Liquid-meter.



No. 643.847. Patanted'Feh. 20; I900.

E. T. MGKAIG.

LIQUID METER.-

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1898.)

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

0 0 m 0 2 .0 Av F d e t n e t a P. m A K c M .L 7 4 3 4 6 0 N LIQUID METER.

' (Apphcatlon filed Jan 5 1898 (No Model.) 3 Shouts-Shoat. 2.

No. 643,847. Patented Feb. 20, I900.

E. T. McKAlG. uuum METER.

(Application filed. Jan. 5, 1898.].

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDDY THOMAS MOKAIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN A. ROGERS, OF SAME PLACE.

LIQUID-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 643,847, dated February 20, 1900.

Application filed January, 5, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDDY THOMAS MOKAIG, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Meters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in meters for measuringliquids, and is designed for use more especially in waterworks systems, to be placed between the main servicepipes and the consumers service to measure the water usedgby such consumer.

A meter constructed in accordance with my invention consists generally of a cylinder, within which is mounted a double-acting piston which is actuated by the pressure of the liquid, and a valve the closure or plate of which is operatively connected with said piston, so as to be actuated by the reciprocation thereof. The valveports are so arranged with relation to the moving part of the Valve that two of said ports will be open to each other and to the outlet-pipe of the meter in each reciprocation of the piston, while the third port, which is at this time in open communication with the inlet-port, will be in communication with the end of the cylinder toward which the piston moved, so that the pressure of the liquid will act to force said piston in a reverse direction and, through its operative connections with the moving parts of the valve mechanism, reverse the position of said valve, so that the port which before was in communication-with the opposite end of the cylinder will be brought into communication with the outlet port or passage.

The invention relates, further, to auxiliary mechanisms in meters of this character by which the valve mechanism'will be positively actuated under the influence of the pressure of the liquid to effect a prompt action of the movable part of the valve at the proper time in the reciprocation of the piston.

As a further and separate improvement I .tering device of the meter.

have shown my improved meter operatively Serial N0- 665,62'7. (N0 model.)

connected and working in unison with a hydraulic pump, by means of which the liquid may be forced to the desired altitude at the top of a building without the necessity of applying additional power therefor. Said pump will be provided with automatic valve mechanism, so that when the water is drawn away from the point to which it is forced by the pump and the pressure on thepump-valves relieved said valves will be opened, which will start the meter and pump in action.

In the drawings illustrating one embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a meter made in accordance with my invention, the lower portion of said view being taken on line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the base of the meter,in which the valve-ports are located, said view being taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are details of the actuating connections between the mov-' ing part of the valve and the piston. Fig. 8 is a plan section taken on line 8 S of Fig. 1. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the plunger and showing also the means for actuating the regis- Fig. 10 illustrates, partly in section and partly in eleva tion, my improved meter operatively connected with a hydraulic pump. Fig. 11 is a detail section taken on line 11 11 of Fig. 10.

As shown in said drawings, A designates a double-acting cylinder which is closed at both ends, and B designates a piston mounted to reciprocate in said cylinder, comprising double-active ends and a reduced middle portion or neck B. Said cylinder is made of larger internal diameter than the external diameter of the active portions of the piston and is provided adjacent to each outer end with a bushing A within which the ends of the piston closely fit to form a working connection therewith.

O designates a dome within which the registering mechanism is contained, which will preferably be provided with a removable or transparent cover, by means of which the register may be read. In the lower wall of said dome, between the interior of the cylinder and the interior of said dome, are located operative connections between the piston and the registering device, which will hereinafter be more fully described.

D designates a base-casting or valve-seat upon which the cylinder A is mounted and upon which is located the seat of the valve mechanism, as will hereinafter be more fully described. The lower side of said cylinderis open between its ends through the greater portion of its length, through which communication is established between the interior thereof and the upper face of the casting and in which opening are located the valve mechanism and the operative connections between the reciprocating piston and the movable parts thereof. Said cylinder is so formed at its lower side as to have water-tight connection with the base-casting, and the portion thereof between the bushings A forms, in effect, avalve-chamber. W'ithin said base-castings are formed the ports of the valve. The arrangements of said ports are shown more clearly in the plan view of Fig. 3 and in the sectional views of Figs 1 and 2. In said figures, D designates the outlet-port, which is shown as of oblong rectangular shape in crosssection and opens at its inner end centrally of the base-casting, with the longer side thereof at right angles to a line passing longitudinally through said casting. D D designate ports which open at their outer ends adjacent to the outer end of the casting and open at their inner ends adjacent to the inner end of the outlet-port D, said ports I) D passing each other on their inner ends and opening on opposite sides of said outlet-port. Said ports D D have no communication with each other nor with the outlet-port D and are adapted to be alternately connected by means of asuitable valve mechanism, to be hereinafter described, with said outlet-port. As herein shown, the port D opens at its outer end adjacent to the right-hand end of said casting or seat and is directed laterally and opens at its inner end on that side of the outlet-port opposite its outer end, while the port D opens adjacent to the left-hand casting or seat and is directed upon the side of said casting opposite said port D and opens upon that side of the outlet-port adjacent to said outer end of the port D Said ports D D D are shown as cored out of the casting, and in order that they shall not intersect the outletport D is formed below the adjacent port D as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The cylinder is provided in its lower side wall, adjacent to the outer end thereof, with ports A A, which register with the outer ends of the ports D D and by means of which communication is established between said ports and the outer ends of the cylinders behind the piston B. Said base-casting will preferably be provided with a removable valve-seat D which has valve-ports adapted to register when in position thereon with the inner ends of the ports D D D as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The movable part of the valve mechanism consists, essentially, of a D-slide-valve plate or closure, which is of such size and so arranged with reference to the outlet-port D and the ports D D that when occupying one limit of its movement it affords communication between the outlet-port and one of the ports D D the other of said ports being at this time in open communication with the valve-chamber, and vice versa. Said slidevalve plate is connected with the piston B, so as to be actuated at each reciprocation thereof and is so constructed and arranged in its difierent parts as to insure prompt and accurate action of the valve in its mechanism, the pressure of the liquid in the valve-chamber being employed as an auxiliary means for this purpose. The valve and valve-actuated mechanism herein illustrated are constructed as follows:

E designates a movable valve-plate provided on its under side with a central recess or opening 6 which is of a width equal to the lateral length of the ports and of a length longitudinally'of the base-casting D to cover at one time two adjacent ports. Said valveplate is provided on its upper face with an actuating cylinder E, which opens upwardly into the valve-chamber between the active ends of the piston and is provided wit-h a piston Eiwhich is operatively connected with the piston B and which is adapted to have a limited movement in the cylinder at each reciprocation of the said piston B. Said cylinder is herein shown as made integral with the valve-plate, but may be otherwise made, as found desirable, and secured thereto in any convenient manner. The means herein shown for operatively connecting the piston E of the valve-actuating cylinder with the piston B are constructed as follows:

E E designate actuating-levers on each side of the cylinder E, which are pivoted between the ends thereof to curved yokes or standards D secured upon the valve-seat casting on each side of said cylinder by means of screws passing through integral inwardlyextending feet D. As a convenient construction in this portion of the device the inner ends of the feet D are provided with undercut rabbets which form guides for guidearms 6 on the valve-plate E and by means of which the valve-plate is prevented from rising off of said seat and is also held from lateral movement thereon. Said levers are shown as pivoted to inwardly-extending lugs located centrally in said yokes, with the lower ends thereof adjacent to the base of the actuating-cylinder E when said levers are in their vertical position.

E designates a rock-shaf t which is loosely mounted in the piston E to have rotative connection therewith. Said shaft extends outwardly beyond the side walls of the cylinder, which latter is provided on opposite sides thereof with upwardly-opening recesses through which the ends of the shaft extend. Said shaft is provided on the outer ends thereof with rigid crank portions or links E, which carry in their outer ends bearinglugs e, which are pivotally connected with the lower ends of the levers E Said shaft E and arms E constitute, in effect, a doublecrank shaft which forms the connection between the piston and lever E The parts described are so constructed and arranged that when the slide-valve plate E stands midway between the ends of the valve-seat and the actuating-levers E stand in a vertical posi tion the crank-armsE will stand parallel with said levers and in a position to raise the piston E slightly in the cylinder E. When the actuating-levers E are moved to one side of a vertical line passing through their pivots, they will act to move the lower ends of the crankarms E vertically outside of their upper ends or points of connection of the piston with the rock-shaft, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, so that when pressure is exerted upon the top of the piston it will act to force said cylinder and the connected valve-plate on that side of the valve-seat toward the direction of inclination of the upper ends of the actuating-levers E and thereby connect the port on that side of the valve seat toward which the plate moves with the central or outlet port, while at the same time uncovering the opposite port to the valve-chamber and afford a passage therethrough for the liquid in said chamber. The actuating-levers E are each provided on opposite sides, adjacent to the upper ends of the crank-arms E, with inwardly-extending lugs 6 between which the movement of the upper ends of the crank-arms E is limited. Said lugs engage said crank-arms in the oscillation of the levers E to hold said arms in their proper position when said actuating-levers are oscillated to raise the piston E within the cylinder E in position to be acted upon by the pressure of the water, during which time the point of pivot of said crank-arm with the actuating-lever moves from under the pivotal connection of the crank-arm with the piston and the piston is actuated by said pressure to move said cylinder and valve-plate.

As herein shown, the D-valve is not made wholly within the valve-plate E 5 but therecess which connects the two adjacent passages when the valve-plate and connected actuating-cylinder have been properly actuated is herein shown as formed partly upon the movable piston .E*, the plate being provided with a proper-shaped opening which coaots with said recess. This construction is provided to prevent the creation of. a vacuum in the lower end of the cylinder when the piston is raised, which would occur were said cylinder made air and water tight. The complete valve might, however, be formed in the plate E if an auxiliary vent were provided to allow the water and air to have free access to the lower end of the cylinder.

The rock-shaft E is connected with the piston E by means permitting the free movement therewith, so that in the operation of the valve mechanism the parts will not tend to become rigid or locked and prevent free movement of the actuating-piston within its cylinder. As herein shown, the piston is of hollow construction and open at its upper end, and the rock-shaft E is rotatively mounted in a cross-head E", which is pivotally mounted in the upper open end of the piston upon pivots extending in a plane at right angles to the central axis of the rock-shaft E The length of said rock-shaft between the crankarms E will also be slightly greater than the external diameter of the cylinder. With this construction a yielding connection is afforded between the actuating-levers E and the piston. E.

The upper or outer ends of the levers are operatively connected with the neck or reduced portion B of the piston B. The connections herein shown are made as follows: E designates a saddle which is located upon said reduced portion of the piston, with the opposite ends thereof engaging the enlarged ends of said piston, so as to be incapable of longitudinal movement with respect thereto. Said saddle is provided on opposite sides thereof with yokes 13'', between the arms of which are formed downwardly-extending recesses, within which are located the outer ends of said actuating-levers E As a preferred construction the levers are provided adjacent to their outer ends with inwardlyextending bearing-lugs 6 upon which are mounted antifriction-rollers 6 which have rolling contact with said recesses of the yoke B In order to prevent said saddle 13 from turning, the cylinder A is provided within its inner walls with downwardly-extending guides A which engage upwardly-extending flanges upon said saddle. The actuating-cylinder E is provided on opposite sidesthereof with lugs E adapted to be engaged by the active ends of the piston at the instant the cylinder and connected plate begins to move under the pressure of the water, and thereby insures a prompt and positive action of said parts.

The registering device is not shown in detail; but any suitable form of such device may be used. The means here shown for actuating said registering device from the piston or plunger B are made as follows: In the upper wall of said cylinderis mounted a short rotative shaft F, which carries at its lower end a star-wheel F, which latter is located just above the upper face of the neck portion of the piston. Upon laterally-opposite sides and adjacent to the opposite ends of said neck or reduced portion are formed upwardly-extending lugs B which strike the said starwheel in each reciprocation of the piston and serve to thereby turn the shaft F through a portion of its path of rotation. The lugs B engage said star-wheel on the opposite sides thereof, being located on opposite sides, and at the opposite ends of said neck portion serve in the successive reciprocations of the piston to turn said star-wheel and connected shaft step by step. The upper end of the shaft is provided with a rigidly-connected disk F Upon said disk and eccentric therewith is mounted a short upwardly-extending pin f. In a suitable bearing in the .lower wall of the dome is mounted a second rotative shaft G, which is connected at its upper end with the registering mechanism and is provided at its lower end with a rectangular or crank portion which is adapted to be engaged by the pin f of the disk F and to be thereby rotated when the said disk and connected shaft F are rotated by the means hereinbefore described.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 1, with the interior of the valvecha'mber filled with liquid under pressure, the piston B occupying the left-hand side of the cylinder and the port D in open communication with the valve-chamber, the pressure of the liquid will force the same through the port D and through the registering-port A into the left-hand end of the cylinder behind the piston, which will act to drive the piston in its opposite direction or toward the right hand of the cylinder. In the position shown in Fig. 1 the valve-plate connects the outlet-port D with the port D and the actuating-cylinder is therefore located between the pivotal connection of the crank-arm E with the actuating-lever E and that end of the cylinder occupied by the piston B. When pressure acts upon said piston to force it toward the opposite end of the cylinder, the pivot between said actuating-lever and the crank-arm will be moved toward the actuating-cylinder, which will, owing to its connection with the movable piston therein, as before stated, act to raise said piston within the actuating-cylinder against the pressure of the liquid. hen the pivotal connection of the crank-arm with the actuating-lever has been moved to that side of the central axis of said cylinder opposite to that originally occupied by it, as shown in said Fig. 1, the pressure of the liquid upon the actuating-piston will act to move the same downwardly in its cylinder and through the crankarm IE will exert a leverage thereon which will act to force the actuating-cylinder and connected valve-plate toward the changed position of the piston. Such changed position of the valve-plate will uncover the port D and put the same in communication with the valve-chamber and at the same time eonnect the port D with the outlet-port D'. At this timethe liquid will pass through the port D behind the piston in the right-hand end of the cylinder and drive the piston in the opposite or left-hand end of the cylinder, and the position of the valve-plate upon the valve-seat will be changed accordingly. Upon said last movement of the piston B toward the left-hand end of the piston the liquid which has previously occupied said end of the cylinder will be driven by the plunger through the port A and D into the outlet port D, which is at this time connected with said port D and to the storage-tank or the place where the liquid is to be used. The movement of the valve mechanism with relation to the piston B will be so timed that all of the water will be forced out of said lefthand end of the cylinder through the outletport before the valve-plate is moved to uncover said port D and to thereby allow the liquid to pass through. said port behind the plunger to move it toward the right-hand cylinder. At each reciprocation of the piston the shaft F and shaft G will be rotated to actuate the registering device in a wellknown manner.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated my improved meter as operatively connected with a hyd raulic pump, by means of which the water measured in the meter may be forced to a higher altitude than the pressure of the waterwork system would force the same. The pump consists of a double-acting cylinder I-I, provided with a piston I, which is rigidly connected with the adjacent end of the piston B by means of a connecting-rod I, which passes through the wall between said pump-cylinder and cylinder A. The pump-cylinder H is provided midway between its ends with a bushing H, which serves to divide the cylinder in two parts, and within said bushing is fitted the piston I. Said cylinder is provided at one side thereof with an inlet-chamber H which is connected with the opposite ends of the pump-cylinder by means of inwardlyopeningspring-actuated check-valveI-I. Said inlet-chamber H is con nected with the outletport of the meter by means of a connectingpip'e J. The cylinder is also provided in its part remote from said inlet-chamber H with an outlet-chamber H, which is connected with the opposite ends of the pump-cylinder by means of outwardly-opening spring-actuated cheek-valves H Said outlet-chamber is provided with a discharge-pipe H, which leads to the point to which the Water is to be forced. The capacity of said pump is less than the capacity of the meter, and provision is made for the discharge of the liquid equal to the difference between the capacity of the said pump and meter, which consists in this instance of a waste-pipe K, which is in communication at its inner end with the connecting-pipe .I outside of the inlet-chamber H With this construction the quantity of the water measured by said meter, less that discharged through the waste-pipe K, will be forced to an altitude in a building or like place greater than the pressure of the water system alone would force the same. The water driven through the waste-pipe K will not be lost, however, as the same may be employed for purposes about the basement of the building in which the meter is located.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with a double-acting cylinder having a piston, a valve-seat and a sliding valve, of an actuating-cylinder upon and movable with said valve and a piston in said actuating-cylinder which is mechanically connected with the main piston.

2. A liquid-meter comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, a valve, an actuating-cylinder on said valve and a piston in said actuatingcylinder, said actuatingpiston being connected with the main piston by means which, when said main piston is moved, act to raise said actuating -piston in its cylinder after which the pressure of the water on said actuating-piston forces the same downwardly in its cylinder and shifts said valve on its seat.

3. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a valve for intermittingly interrupting said communication, an actuating cylinder, upon and movable with said valve, a piston in said actuating-cylinder, said last-mentioned piston being mechanically connected with the main piston.

4. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, an outlet-port, means for delivering liquid to said valve-chamber, a sliding valve for intermittin gly connecting the opposite ends of the cyl-' inder with the outlet-port, an actuating-cylinder upon and movable with said valve, a

piston in said actuating-cylinder, said lastmentioned piston being mechanically connected with the main piston.

5. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber provided with a valve-seat and a sliding valve, an outlet-port opening into said seat, ports extending from the opposite ends of the cylinder passing each other at their inner ends and opening into the valve-seat on opposite sides of the outlet-port, said valve being adapted to alternately connect said outlet-port with the ports leading to the opposite ends of the cylinder, an actuating-cylinder upon and movable with said valve and a piston in said actuating-cylinder, said last-mentioned piston being mechanically connected .With the main piston.

6. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a movable valve-closure for intermittingly interrupting said communication, an actuatingcylinder on said valve-closure in open communication at its upper end'with the interior of the valve-chamber, a piston in said actuating-cylinder subject to the pressure of the liquid in said chamber and operative connections between said actuating-piston and the main piston.

7. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a movable valve-closure for intermittingly interrupting said communication, an actuating cylinder on said closure, a piston in said cylinder, a lever pivoted between its ends adjacent to said cylinder, and connected at one end with said actuating-piston, and operatively connected at its other end with the main piston.

8. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a movable valve-closure for intermittingly interrupting said communication, an actuatingcylinder on said closure, a piston in said cylinder subject to the pressure of the liquid in said chamber, a lever pivoted between its ends adjacent to said actuating-cylinder, and operatively connected at its lower end with said actuating-piston and operative connec tions between the upper end of the lever and the main piston, said lever acting when oscillated, to raise the actuating-piston against the pressure of the liquid until the lower end of said lever has passed beyond the central axis of the piston, when the pressure of the liquid upon said piston will act to move the actuating cylinder and connected closure away from said lower end of the lever.

9. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a movable valve-closure for intermittingly interrupting said communication, an actuatingcylinder on said closure, a piston therein a lever pivoted between its ends adjacent to said cylinder, a connecting-link pivotally connected at one end with the lower end of said lever and at its opposite end with the piston and operative connections between the up per end of said lever and the main piston.

10. A liquid-meter comprising a dou ble-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a movable valve-closure for intermittingly interrupting said communication, an actuatingcylinder on said closure, a piston therein, levers pivoted between their ends on opposite sides of said actuating-cylinder, connecting links pivotally connected at one end with the levers and at their opposite ends with the actuating-piston, and operative connections between said levers and the main piston.

11. A liquid-meter comprising a double-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber adapted to have alternate communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, a mov able valve-closure for interrupting said com munication, an actuatingcylinder on said closure, a hollow piston therein, a cross-head pivoted in the upper end of said piston, a lever pivoted between its ends adjacent to said cylinder, a connecting-link between the lower end of said lever and said cross-head, and operative connection between the upper end of said lever and the main piston.

12. Aliquid-metercomprisingadouble-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber, a three-way valve in said chamber comprising a valve-seat and a sliding valve-plate mounted thereon, guides on said seat engaging said plate, an actuating-cylinder on said plate, a piston in said cylinder and operative connections between said actuating-piston and the main piston.

13. Aliquid-metercomprisingadouble-acting cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chainher, a three-way valve in said chamber comprising a valve-seat and a sliding valve-plate, an actuating-cylinder on said valve-plate, a piston in said cylinder, standards secured to the seat on opposite sides of the cylinder, levers pivoted to said standards and operatively connected at their lower ends with said actuating-piston and at their upper ends with the main piston, said standards being provided on their sides adjacent to said valveplate with undercut rabbets which engage said plate. v

14, Aliquid-metcrcomprisingadouble-acting cylinder, a piston therein, comprising active end portions and a reduced middle portion, a valve-chamber in communication with the interior of the cylinder, a valve-seat in said chamber, a sliding closure thereon, an actuating-cylinder on said closure, a piston therein, operative connections between said actuating-piston and the main piston and lugs on said cylinder adapted to be engaged by the active ends of the main piston in each reciprocation thereof.

15. In a liquid-meter the combination of a cylinder, a piston therein, a saddle on said piston, a valve operatively connected with said saddle, depending guide-1n gs on said cylinder, and guide-flanges on the saddle adapted to engage said guide-lugs.

16. A liquid-meter comprising a cylinder, a piston therein, a valve and an auxiliary device on said valve which is actuated first by said piston and afterward by pressure of water within said valve-chamber to move said valve upon its seat.

1'7. Aliquid-metercomprisingadouble-act ing cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chamber, a three-way valve in said chamber embracing a sliding valve-closure provided with a central opening, an actuating-cylinder on said closure, a piston in said cylinder, said piston being provided on its under side with a recess adapted to coact with said opening of the closure, and operative connections between said actuating-piston and the main piston.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of November,

EDDY THOMAS MCKAIG. Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, TAYLOR E. BROWN. 

